Photographic apparatus



J 9, 1945- A. H. GAE'BEL PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w lllI. vWunl FIG. 1.

INVEN TOR. flan/y 64555;

J Arromvggs BY M [I Jan. 9, 1945. A. H. GAEBEL PHOTOGRAPHI C APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /424 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 9, 1945 UNITED STAT E'S' PATENT OFFICE rnorocmmc srraaa'rus Arthur H. Gaebel, Larchmont, N. r.

Application July 29, 1941, Serial No. 404,488

9 Claim.

graphic negative and a sheet of sensitized metal,

paper, glass or other material to receive a print. Means, such as a vacuum pump, is provided for withdrawing the air from between the blanket and the cover glass to cause the pressure of the atmosphere to force the plates or other material into close engagement. After the exposure has been made, the vacuum is released, the blanket is separated from the cover glass and the photographic plates 01" films or other material can be.

removed.

Diiiiculty is often encountered in separating the photographic plate from the cover glass. In photo-engraving, for example, the photographic films are stripped-on to a smooth-surfaced plate of glass so that intimate contact can be had with the metal plate. Inasmuch as the cover glass has a smooth surface, the plate often sticks to the cover-glass and difliculty may be encountered in separating the plate from the cover glass. The photographic material sometimes sticks to the glass momentarily and then falls therefrom onto the plate or film therebeneath, damaging its emulsion or breaking the plate and requiringthe printing operation to be repeated to produce an undamaged print. This inherent disadvantage of prior vacuum printing frames has prevented the production of fully away and separate from the cover glass upon release 01 the vacuum.

Cohesion or adhesion of the photographic materials may be caused also by excessive'heat.

Overheating of the materials has been overcome, 4

in accordance with the present invention, by means of a novel form of lamp housing and cooling and ventilating system, which permits long exposures to be made by means of such light sources as mercury vapor arc or quartz lamps. Some types of quartz lamps operate most eiliciently at temperatures of between about 500 and J 600 F. and therefore should not be cooled during their operation, however, only when their temperature is less than about 150 F. Therefore, lamps of this type, after. being extinguished, cannot be relighted until they have had an opportunity to cool. This characteristic is undesirable in many types of printing operations, for example, when successive exposures are being made, because of the loss of time required to cool the lamp.

In accordance with the present invention, I have provided a ventilating system for the lamp housing which draws cooling air through the housing to prevent overheating of the photographic materials without cooling the lamp while it is lighted, and which directs cooling air around the lamp when the lamp is not lighted to reduce about 250 hours when operated for periods of it quickly to ignition temperature.

Other types of mercury lamps have selft-contamed cooling systems, such as glass water jackets through which cooling water is circulated. Such lamps have relatively long operating lives, if operated continuously, but their operating lives are diminished greatly if they are operated intermittently. For example, one type of jacketed mercury vapor lamphas an operating life of automatic printing devices. The means for sep- 4Q eight hours at a time, but when operated interarating the cover glass from the blanket has been operated manually, heretofore. to permit the manual separation of the photographic ma- 'terial from the cover glass.

In accordance with the present invention, I have provided a photographic printing device which may operate automatically including the opening of the frame and which overcomes the disadvantage of prior vacuum printing devices pointed out above.

More particularly, my improved vacuum printing or copying device may include a cover glass which cooperates with the photographic plates to cause a relative curving of the cover glass mittently for periods of 3 to 4 minutes, has an' operating life of only about hours.

' form of vacuum printing device of the type em- Inasmuch as such lamps are expensive .and it is desirable to prolong their operating lives to render them economical, the present invention includes means for permitting the lamp to operate during the short intervals between printing operations. while preventing the escape of the light during these intervals.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of 'a typical and/or the plates so that the plates will spring bodying the-invention;

These lamps will light,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the vacuum printing device shown partly broken away and with the lamp housing, the frame and the doors thereof open to disclose details of the construction;

Figures 3 and 4 are views in vertical section, partly broken away, taken through the upper portion of the vacuum printing device;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a typical form of vacuum blanket embodying one of the phases of the invention;

Figure 6 is a view taken on line i6 of Figure 3;

Figures 7 and 8 are views in vertical section of modified forms of devices for flexing the cover glass;

Figure 9 is a view partially in section and partially in side elevation of a modified form of vacuum printing device; and

Figure 10 is a view in section taken on line l0i0 of Figure 9.

One form of the device embodying the present invention is disclosed in Figures 1-6, inclusive, of the drawings. The device disclosed in Figures 1 and 2, particularly, consists of a hollow base memher In having a flat supporting table II at the upper end thereof. The design of the base memher is of no importance in so far as the present invention is concerned and it will not be described in detail herein.

other air-tight flexible material, is of generally rectangular shape and has a tapered outer peripheral edge We of great flexibility. As shown particularly in Figure 4, directly within the flexible edge I6 is a rounded rib lGb which extends in spaced relationship to the edge Ilia. Inasmuch as the rib I6!) is of thicker material, it is of less flexibility than the edge Ilia of the blanket ii. The rib is of lesser height than the edge a for a reason presently to be disclosed. The blanket i5 is further provided with a coupling lie in each of the rear corners thereof similar to valve stems to which may be connected conduits runningcfrom the vacuum pump fl mounted within the base member ID. The vacuum pump I1 is actuated by a motor I8 under the contro1 of the timing device (4 so that the time of operation of the vacuum pump can be regulated. The vacuum gage I5 is likewise connected to the vacuum pump to indicate the vacuum in inches created by the pump I1,

Cooperating with the vacuum blanket 'l6,-as best shown in Figures 3 and 4, is a sheet of transparent material i9 hereinafter referred to as a cover glass which engages the vacuum blanket l6 and forms a space for receiving photographic plates and 2|, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. In order to seal the space between the blanket l6 and the cover glass IS, the plate is brought into engagement with the edge I So of the vacuum blanket and the vacuum pump I1 is started. As the vacuumincreases the blanket I6 is drawn up toward the cover glass, as shown in Figure 3, while the rib lib is brought into sealing engagement also with the under-surface of the cover glass l9. Flexing the blanket It causes the edge lia of the blanket to be deflected thereby caus- 25.

ing it to lose contact with the cover glass. Thus, the flexible edge lie of the blanket serves to initially seal the space between the cover glass is and the blanket l6 under light pressure so that a vacuum can be drawn in that space. The rib lib being less flexible cannot afford as good sealing engagement with the plate under light pressures, but affords a, good seal and will not collapse after a vacuum has been created in the space.

The atmospheric pressure on the blanket forces the photographic plates 20 and 2| into tight engagement so that the subject matter of the upper plate 20,-a photographic negative, for example, can be exposed sharply on the lower plate 2|, for example, a metal plate adapted to be etched subsequently to produce a printing plate.

Sometimes when the printing operation has been concluded and the cover glass I9 is moved relatively to the blanket I6 there is a tendency for the photographic negative 20 to stick to the cover glass [9, be lifted thereby momentarily and then dropped upon the sensitized metal plate, scraping or otherwise damaging it.

I have overcome this undesirable action by the construction now to be described. As best shown in Figure 4, the cover glass I9 is retained at its side edges on a generally rectangular framework 22 formed of channel iron by means of angle irons 23 which underlie the edges of the cover glass I9 and are secured to the outer sides of the channel iron frame 22. The frame 22 is connected by means of hinges 24 to the back edge of the table H and is provided with rearwardly extending arms 25 provided with counter-balancing weights 26 which normally rock the frame into spaced relationship withthe table II. The frame 22, bearing the cover glass l9, may be drawn down into engagement with the blanket l6 by means of the handle 21 pivotally mounted in the lugs 28 on the front end of the frame 22. The handle 21 may be provided with downwardly extending hooks 28 which are adapted to engage beneath the rollers 30 mounted in the pairs of lugs 2| on the front of the base H). The hooks 29 are designed to merely engage beneath the rollers 30 so that a light pressure can be exerted on the blanket It by means of the cover glass I8, but not to lock the frame 22 to the table II. With this type of construction the frame 22 may be brought down so that the cover glass l9 may come into sealing engagement with the blanket l6 until a vacuum is drawn in the space between them. Thereafter the cover glass 18 is retained in its lower position by the weight of the blanket l 6 so long as the vacuum is maintained in the space. However, upon breaking the vacuum, the counterbalancing weights 26 will swing the frame 22 upwardly, thus permitting the photographic plates to be removed from the blanket l6.

In order to prevent the photographic plate 20 from sticking to the cover glass I I, a shim I2. Figures 3 and 6, is inserted between the frame 22 and the cover glass I! at the front and rear of the frame in order to flex the cover glass ll slightly. This slight curvature of the glass I9 is sufficient to bend the photographic plates 20 and 2| slightly when the vacuum is drawn on the blanket l6 and thus place them under tension so that when the vacuum is released the inherent resiliency of the plates 2| and 2| will cause them to snap loose from the cover glass is and remain on the blanket l6.

While I have shown the use of a shim 22 between the cover glass II and the frame 22, it will be understood that a normally curved cover the glass being sufiicient'to permit the slight flexing required to separate the photographic plates from the cover glass. Moreover, other forms of devices for flexing the cover glass l9 may be used, if desired. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the cover glass I! may be flexed by a pin 33 which passes through apertures 34 in the frame 22 and is urged toward the cover glass by means of a spring 35 whichengages a flange 33a on the pin and the upper flange of the channel iron frame 22. e

Another form of device for flexing the cover glass is shown in Figure 8. In this device, the flexing member may consist of a spring tongue 36 having a corrugation 36a therein which engages the upper edge of the cover glass 19 when the latter is brought into engagement with the blanket [6. The spring tongue 36 is secured to the forward edge of the table When the counterbalancing weight 26 swings the frame 22 upwardly, the corrugation 36a. exerts a drag on the cover glass l9, thereby flexing it slightly and causing separation of the photographic plate 20 from the plate I9, as described above.

From the above description, .it will be clear that slight bending. of the cover glass is suflicient to disengage the photographic plate from the cover glass. It is to be noted that in the forms of the invention disclosed in Figures 6 and 7 the printing operations are conducted while the cover glass is slightly curved, and that in the other forms of the invention, the cover glass is flat during the printing operations, but is flexed as the cover glass l9 moves away from the blanket IE.

The form of the device disclosed in Figures 1 and 2 may also be provided with a housingfl of novel construction for a lamp 38 which directs light through the cover glass I9 onto the photographic plates retained therebeneath. The lamp housing 31 may be connected at its rear edge to the rear edge ofv the frame 22 by means of the hinges 39 so that the lamp housing can be lifted for inspection and cleaning of the -cover glass IS.

The housing 3| is provided with a hinged closure 40 in its front side which may be opened for inspection and burning in or blocking out operations during exposure.

The lamp 38 may be an elongated quartz lamp which is supported in suitable sockets adjacent the top of the lamp housing 31, In order to assure proper illumination of the photosensitive materials, the lamp housing 31 may be formed with a. lower portion 31a of generally frustopyramidal shape and the upper reflecting portion 31b of generally dome-shape. The \reflecting portion 31a is made up of a series of superimposed conic sections of proper width and slant to direct l ght downwardlyionto the cover glass l9. In photo-engraving operations, more light should be directed to the edges of the plates than to their centers, for the reason that the metal plates are more heavily coated at their edges 'than at their centers as anincident of their manner of production.

Inasmuch as quartz lamps generate considerable heat and require a high temperature for eflicient operation, they might, if used continu emulsion of the-photographlc materials. Ac-

cordingly, means are provided forcooling the housing 31, without cooling the lamp during its operation. The cooling means may consist of a fan 42 communicating with the top of the housing 31 behind a baffle plate 4| of generally inverted W-shape for withdrawing heated air .therefrom. Air may be drawn into the lamp housing through suitably baiiled apertures 43 around the lower periphery of the housing. The air sweeps across and cools the cover glass l9, passes along the walls of the housing and behind the baiile plate 4| out of contact with the lamp 38.

Inasmuch as quartz lamps will not ignite un-' less they are in an initially cool state, i. e.,

F. or less, I have provided a mechanism for quickly cooling the lamp after an exposure has been made. This mechanism includes a shutter 44 having an elongated slot 44a therein through which air can be drawn and a spaced light baiile 44b overlying the slot 44a. The shutter 44 has a, shaft 45 at one edge thereof which is rotatably supported at the back of the housing 31 so that I the shutter can be swung flatly, as shown in dotted lines, against the back wall of the housing or transversely of the housing, as shown in full lines, where the slot is disposed beneath the lamp 38. The shutter 44 can be swung between its two positions by means of a lever 46 fixed to the end of the shaft 45 and a link 41 pivotally connected to the table II and the lever 46. Air is drawn around the lamp 38 behind the 'bafiie 441) through the slot 44a and through a slot 4la in the apex of the bafiie 4| by means of the fan 42. The slot Mat is normally closed by.

- lamp 38. The passage on the opposite side of the baille 4| may be closed temporarily by means of a hinged flap 49.

The fan 42 may be manually controlled so that it can be started at the beginning of a printing operation and permitted to run after the printing operation is completed and the lamp 38 is extinguished. If desired, a thermostatic switch may be mounted adjacent to or in contact with the lamp 38 to.shut oi the fan 42 when the lamp cools to ignition temperature. I

With devices of the type described above, printing operations are greatly simplified because of I the automatic operation of the device. All that is required is to place the photographic plates between the blanket l6 and the cover glass I9, draw the frame and lamp housing downwardly, start the fan 42 and timing mechanism M which automatically starts the vacuum pump l1 and lights the quartz lamp 38 to make the exposure. No further attention need be paid to the device inasmuch as the timing device automatically exposes the plates for the required time and thereafter shuts off the light and stops the vacuum pump and permits the frame 22 to rise so that the photographic plates ma be removed therefrom. The fan 42 is permitted to run if other printing operations are to be conducted or may be controlled by the temperature of the lamp as described above. 8

The shutter 44 may be used in conjunction with a water-cooled lamp to permit the lamp to burn between successive printing operations. with this type of lamp the baflie 4| and, in some instances, the fan 42 may be omitted, if desired.

A modified form of printing device is disclosed in Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings. This form of device includes a supporting base 50 having a rearward extension thereon. The base 50 may be hollow and may be used for storage purposes. Mounted adjacent the upper edge of thevbase 50 and the rearward extension 5| are a plurality of rolls 52 which support a frame 53 for the cover glass 54 for sliding movement'longitudinally of the base and extension. The frame 53 is normally drawn into the extension 5| by means of suitable springs or, if desired, a counter-weight, and may be drawn manually toward the front of the device.

A vacuum blanket 55 similar to the blanket I6 is supported upon a table 51 which is mounted for vertical movement in the frame 50. The table 51 is guided in the frame by means of a plurality of laterally projecting lugs 58 which engage in vertical grooves 59 in the side of the frame 55. Upward movement is imparted to the table 51 by means of two pairs of cams 50 and ii at opposite sides of the table, the earns 60 and the cams 5| being connected by links 52 and 51. The front cams 50 and GI are mounted eccentrically on a shaft 64 and the rear cams 60 and SI are mounted eccentrically on a transverse shaft 55, the shafts 54 and 65 being journaled in the sides of the frame 50. The shaft 54 is provided with an actuating handle 66 by means of which all of the cams may be rotated to lift the table 51 and force it against the cover-glass 54 when the cover glass is in its forward position. Upward movement of the cover glass 54 is prevented by means of laterally projecting flanges 51 and 58 which are received in grooves 59 and 10, respectively, in the side members of the frame 55.

With this construction the cover glass 54 in its supporting frame 53 is normally retained at the rear of the base so while the rubber blanket 55 is normally in its lowermost position. When a printing operation is to take place, the photographic materials are placed upon the rubber blanket 55. the cover glass 54 is drawn forward by means of the handle ll into a position overlying the blanket 56, as shown in Figure 9, and the handle 65 is pulled forward to rais the table 51 and bring may be supplied by means of a source of illumination (not shown) in a lamp housing 12 which is supported by a pair of arms 15 and I4 which extend upwardly and forwardly from the supporting base or frame 50. Inasmuch as this form of lamp housing is spaced from the cover glass 54, overheating of the cover glass and the photographic material is -not possible and, therefore, any desired type of light source, such as, for example, carbon arcs may be used.

From the preceding description of typical forms of the invention, it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and readily usable type of de vice for photographic printing operations. The number of motions required to make a print are materially reduced and the possibility of damaging the photographic material either through heat applied thereto or because of dropping of the photographic material from underneath the cover glass is eliminated.

While vacuum printing frames of the type embodying the invention are particularly adapted to photographic printing apparatus, they may be used with equal facility for holding subject matter to be copied by photostating or photographic copying apparatus and the like and thus are adaptable for use in various fields. It will be understood, therefore, that devices of the type the blanket into contact with the undersurface When the vacuum is broken, the table 51 and the a blanket 55 return by gravity to their initial positions and the cover glass 54 is freed for return movement by means of the springs 55 into the extension 5! of the base 55.

In order to prevent the photographic plates or other material from sticking to the cover glass 54, the latter may be bowed transversely in a manner similar to the cover glass I! described above. As illustrated, the frame 55 may be provided with shims 15 at the centers of its front and back sides which bear against the centers of the front and rear edges of the cover glass 54.- It will be understood, of course, that other types of devices may be used for flexing the cover glass 54, such as, for example, the forms of the devices disclosed in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.

Light for exposing the photographic material embodying the present invention are susceptible to considerable variation in their construction and in their usage and, therefore, the forms of the invention disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim: I

11- In a vacuum printing device, the combination of a transparent member having a slight transverse curvature, a flexible blanket adapted to receive a substantially flat photographic plate and being engageable with said transparent member, and means for drawing a vacuum between said blanket and said member to permit atmospheric pressure to flex said plate into conformity with the curvature of said member, whereby upon breaking said vacuum the plate will straighten a cooperating air-tight blanket having raised edges engageable with said transparent member, means for drawing a vacuum between said memher and said blanket, and means for flexing said transparent member slightly to impart a transversecurvature thereto.

3. In a vacuum printing device, the combination of a substantially flat transparent member, a frame supporting said member, means on said frame for flexing said member to impart a transverse curvature to said member, a flexible blanket engageable with said member and means for evacuating the space between said blanket and 7 said member.

4. In a vacuum printing device, the combination of a table, an air-tight blanket having raised edges thereon supported on said table, a generally rectangular frame hingedly connected at one edge to an edge of said table, a substantially flat cover glass supported by 'said frame engageable with the raised edges of said blanket and with a photographic plate on said blanket, means normally urging said frame away from said blanket, means for drawing a vacuum between said cover glass and said blanket, and

means for flexing said cover glass slightly to cause a photographic, plate to separate from said cover glass upon release of said vacuum and movement or said cover glass away from said blanket.

5. In a vacuum printing device, the combination of a cover glass, a frame supporting said cover glass, a flexible blanket having edge portions engageable with said cover glass, means for drawing a vacuum between said blanket and said cover glass and a shim on said frame for bending said cover glass to render photographic plates pressed against said member by atmospheric pressure readily releasable upon breaking sai vacuum.

6. In a vacuum printing device, the combination of a cover glass,-'a frame supporting said cover glass, a flexible blanket having edge portions engageable with said cover glass, means for drawing a vacuum between said blanket and said cover glass and resilient means for flexing said cover glass to render photographic plates pressed against said cover glass by atmospheric pressure readily releasable upon breaking said vacuum.

- 8. In a printing device, the combination of relatively movable table and a lamp housing for directing 'light toward said table, a vacuum blanket supported on said table, a cover glass between said lamp housing and said table and movable relatively to said table, means for moving said cover glass and said blanket into engage-.

ment. means for drawing a vacuum between said cover glass and said blanket for retaining them in engagement. means responsive to breaking of said vacuum for separating said blanket and said glass member, and means for flexing said cover glass to separate from said cover glass a photographic plate cohering to said cover glass.

9. In a printing device the combination of a lamp housing, a table movable toward and away from said lamp housing, a cover glass slidable relatively to said table into positions covering and exposing said table, means normally urging said cover glass into a position exposing said table,

a vacuum blanket supported on said table, means for moving said table to bring said blanket into engagement with said cover glass, means for drawing a vacuum between said cover glass and said blanket for retaining them in engagement, and means for flexing said cover glass slightly to cause a photographic plate cohering to said cover glass to separate therefrom upon breakingsaid vacuum.

ARTHUR H. GAEBEL. 

